No, not until a new fake “end of days” hour or even until my beloved Giant’s play ball (they are playing the A’s as I write)… I’m speaking of the countdown to Cody’s departure.

My loyal readers know that Cody is grandma Sharon’s puppy (technically my uncle). He’s a cute, amiable chap and I really enjoy his company… in moderation. Cody stays with us occasionally if grandma is traveling and he’s been with us since Friday morning.

please make him stop, mama!

Cody has a greater abundance of energy than Wilbur and I combined. When Cody wants to play (or has any want) he barks incessantly. After a dog park outing, wrestling and cavorting at home, you’d think he’d start tiring. But no. Wilbur and I just want to relax but Cody is relentless.

We try to ignore him but that just gets him more excited and he becomes louder. He puts his face less than an inch from my snout and yells at me to play with him. I’m doing my best not to allow myself to feel irritated, but my patience is diminishing.

I know he’s just a puppy but, seriously, I wasn’t obnoxious like him when I was young. When we’re at the park Cody is really well-behaved so I know he has it in him to be good, not repellent.

I’ve had my moments of mischief but I don’t think I was as naughty as Cody when I was a puppy. Mama ran out

cody behaving at the park & making new friends

to the store this afternoon and left me in charge for a few minutes. Needless to say, I was completely unable to control the pup and he was very bad.

As soon as mama drove away Cody was on top of her desk. He scattered every piece of paperwork, knocked the lamp to the floor and bowed and broke the window blinds. Wilbur and I know better than to ever get on mama’s desk and I pleaded with Cody to cease and come down at once.

Refusing to heed my direction he concluded his doggie destruction by knocking mama’s baby to the floor… her MacBook! In that moment, I crumpled in defeat.

I did the best I could to stop the mayhem but Cody is an unstoppable, tsunami-like natural disaster — disguised as a 10 pound ball of fluff.

hiding out under mama's hoodie

As demonstrated by my ability to pen this blog, the computer (thankfully!) suffered no harm.

I’m going to spend the next 2 hours attempting to hide in my own house. If Cody can’t find me, he can’t irritate me. Off to my box of disguises….

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to puppy-sit my new uncle Cody (somehow that just doesn’t sound right!). I told you about this new family member in my post, “Horn Dog”. Cody exudes juvenile energy and I had a modicum of worry about how our little house, filled with existing creatures, could endure this furry fireball.

As expected, he arrived ready to play and explore… and mount. For the most part, I’ve outgrown this manner of puppy-play, but as the elder babysitter, I indulged him. I have to give myself a little pat on the back for my patience, tolerance and hospitality. Mama took notice and made all over me about being such a perfect host.

I let him crawl all over me and nip at my ears, which is his way of getting my attention. Cody would run circles around me as I lay on my back, attempting to grab him with my paws at every pass. He was giggling (the way pups do) as he attempted to avoid my clutches. I’d show him my teeth, every once in awhile, just to give him a little scare. Not to frighten him, mind you, just an added thrill, like a roller coaster.

I indulged Cody in some boxing too, but I had to get down to his level. I sat throwing my paw-punches, as he was on his hind legs batting at me. Every so often, he would throw himself into my chest, look up at me through his veil of hair, and give me a big lick on the nose. Ah, the endearing behavior of pups!

You are probably wondering what Wilbur was doing during all this kindergarten play. Wilbur was none too happy with Cody’s presence, especially when he took a liking to our toy box. Every time Cody took out a baby (toy) to play with, Wilbur would jump off the couch and forcibly take it away from Cody. Per usual, Wilbur would “hide” each baby in his secret vault. (Please refer to my post on Wilbur’s proclivity for hoarding, in“Enough is Sometimes Enough“.)

Our puppy-sitting duties only lasted a few hours, but it was an exhausting afternoon! Compared to little Cody, I feel like an old (yet distinguished) gentleman.

I must say that I’m pleased with how I handled my virgin puppy-sitting experience. The patience and tolerance that I’ve written of, became my reality, and I think I exemplified magnanimity.

It feels good to go beyond the expected, especially when that means expanding our levels of patience. It’s hard to always live up to our ideals, but it certainly feels brilliant in the moments that we do!

What are your experiences with extending tolerance and patience towards others?

Friends, I’ve talked a lot this week about personality qualities that I find important, and try to personify. I’ve talked about simplicity (“An Abundant Life, Simply Stylish”), forgiveness (“Fido-Form Forgiveness”), and patience (“Patience Makes Perfect”). Wilbur and I were discussing my choice of topics this week, and we have come to some interesting conclusions.

Many humans spend much time, (and money), consulting psychologists and therapists, priests and shaman, confidants and a higher power, searching for guidance and clarity in their lives. I completely understand this yearning to self-evolve.

Wilbur and I often confabulate about greater purpose and self-realization in our lives. I know dogs to be quite contemplative, especially when evaluating how we can become better canines in this world. I imagine, that many of you human readers might scratch your head at this notion, but it’s true, I tell you. For most pooches, the desire to learn, excogitate, and evolve is inborn.

What many homo sapiens fail to discover, is that the counseling you seek from other sources, can often be found in your own abode; your canine companion. No payment or donation needed, just a few pungent treats, and your school is in session! There’s a great line in the book “Pollyanna”, by Eleanor Porter. (Note: Mama named her first childhood dog, Pollyanna.) “It’s funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks better than other folks do, isn’t it?”

I’m a tad biased, as I am a dog, but canine wisdom is nothing to bark at. If you take a moment to ponder the base nature of us dogs, you will find a bounty of self-help education. As an ever-expanding pup (meaning in consciousness, hopefully not my waistline), I value loyalty, trust, love, friendship, self-reflection, integrity, relaxation, dependability, purpose, and joy, to be the bricks of my being.

I hear that humans pay big money to be counseled on how to cultivate such positive qualities. Me, and my puppy brethren, can demonstrate effective paths to generating this self-growth for mere kibble! I encourage you to take the time, human readers, to give your canine some credit for understanding how to live the good life. Take a breath, and take a lesson from your furry, four-pawed friend. The doctor is in the house…

I read this Maya Angelou quote, and thought it to be entirely true: “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” I would add to this list; badly timed stoplights (really slows my excursion to the dogpark), a less-than-friendly pup or person encounter, and hot summer days.

You can add your own pet peeves to the list, but you get the drift. Responses to such disappointing events, speak volumes about ones’ character. It’s completely natural to feel letdown when circumstances don’t play out as anticipated. But, there’s a fine line between mild disappointment and giving into the more reactionary side of ourselves.

I must admit, that when I’m not fully conscious, I will bark (sometimes furiously) when we are in the car, and stuck at a long stoplight. Part of me cannot understand why mama has stopped the car, for what seems like an eternity, when we are en route to my favorite hangout. My base nature wants to scream out in frustration, hence, the barking. But, when I take a moment, and accept my impatience for what it is, I calm myself immediately, knowing I can choose my reaction.

I don’t always succeed in tempering my antsy feelings, but I am aware of my behavior, and am getting better all the time. It’s not always easy for a pup to hold back, but I’m an evolving pooch, and each mistake is a lesson in itself.

Mama practices this herself, when in line at the grocery store. You know how it is; you pick the shortest line at the supermarket, and it takes three times longer to checkout than the, seemingly, longer line. Mama tries to use these instances as a meditation in patience, rather than give in to the irritation that is embodied in the clerk, who double-charged the customer ahead, and is still waiting for “manager approval” to refund.